Mounting for calender rolls



Aug. 10, 1954 Filed July 6, 1950 C. V. HINTON MOUNTING FOR CALENDER ROLLS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 C. V. HINTON MOUNTING FOR CALENDER ROLLS Aug. 10, 1954 Filed July 6, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 008 I 5|: A I, I

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O I 1 In. I L" V A g w 251 N I 5* o 1* 3 g g \8 m 00 I I m I Patented Aug. 10, 1954 UNITED STATE- OFFICE MOUNTING FOR. CALENDER, ROLLS Application July 6, 1950, Serial No. 172,333

17 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a mounting and weighting assembly for an upper calender roll for textile processing machinery.

At certain points in sliver preparation, as after the combing operation, it is desirable to condense a sheet or web of fibers materially so a to give it proper body for subsequent operations and strength to continue to move to these operations without stretching or breaking. This desired condensing action is accomplished by drawing the web through a funnel-shaped device or trumpet by means of a pair of calender rolls. The web emerges from the trumpet as a condensed strand or sliver. Since considerable resistance is encountered in the trumpet a firm even grip of the rolls on the sliver is needed to pull the web through the trumpet without undue pressure being exerted on any portion of the sliver. It is necessary to avoid too much pressure in obtaining this grip because slivers which are too highly compressed are diiiicult to draw in the next operation and may produce uneven work from that point on.

Also, particularly in combing machines, the trumpet is usually arranged to operate a stopmechanism controlled by the resistance to passage of the web through the trumpet. The function of this stop-mechanism is to stop the machine when the resistance in the trumpet becomes higher or lower by a material departure from a selected value. The efiectiveness with. which this stop-motion mechanism controls the consistency of the sliver is determined by the accuracy with which the resistance in the trumpet reflects variations in the weight of sliver being formed. If a uniform grip on the sliver can be obtained, the pull on individual cross sectional elements at the trumpet and also at different points in the length will not vary, thereby assisting in the use of the trumpet resistance as a true reflection of the size of sliver.

In addition to the above, it is desirable that the device for drawing the sliver through the trumpet be adapted for rapid and easy threading of the sliver. Also, since clean contact surfaces are essential to uniform loading and proper op eration, it is desirable that the device be readily accessible for thorough cleaning.

Calender roll arrangements heretofore attempting to achieve the above have among others used a structure wherein the top roll was pivoted at one of its ends, in the manner shown inCrockett Patent No. 2,356,034. Such an arrangement leaves room for improvement, as it inherently lacks uniformity of bite with varying thickness of the sliver. At only one thickness of sliver does the axis of the pivoted calender roll run parallel with the, axis of the fixed roll, If the sliver is run light, the pivoted roll drops sli htly at its free end. This changes the bite (-Cl. ISL-157) 2 to a wedge shape in profile with the narrower side of the wedge farthest from the pivot. In such case the pressure of the sliver will not be uniform across its width; the portion of the sliver farthest from the pivot will receive more pressure and will be compressed and drawn more than the portion nearest the pivot. If the sliver is run heavy the pivoted roll will rise about its pivot making the wider section of the wedge shaped bite appear at the point farthest from the pivot. For this condition the side of the sliver farther from the pivot is subject to less pressure and is compressed less than the side nearer the pivot. Such uneven bearing of the calender rolls on the sliver besides producing uneven compression is not conducive to a desirableuniform pull throughout the cross section of the sliver at the trumpet and thus not conducive to most effective operation of the stop-mechanism.

Another drawback of this wedge shaped bite is that it causes a variation in the weight or load applied to the sliver depending on the sliver thickness. Further, this weight variation is in an undesirable direction. That is, when the sliver runs light, which is a condition where decreased load would be preferable, the weight increases, and when the sliver runs heavy, which is a condition where increased load would be preferable, the weight decreases. The reason for this phenomenon is that uneven pressure across a light sliver causes the sliver to tend to run off at a slight angle from the axis of the trumpet toward the wide end of the resulting wedge shaped bite and thus nearer to the pivot. Movement toward the pivot increases the effective leverage of the roll with respect to the sliver, thereby increasing the compression load on the light sliver.

On the other hand, a heavy sliver causes a wedge shape pointing in a reverse direction and causes the sliver to run toward the side away from the pivot. This decreases the effective leverage of the roll with respect to the sliver, thereby decreasing the compression load on the heavy sliver.

Another undesirable aspect of a calender roll pivoted at one end as in the above mentioned patent is that the pull on the sliver produces a turning moment at right angles to the pivot. Because of this turning moment wear or looseness at the pivot will cause a loss of parallelism between the axes of the calender rolls which again causes an uneven bite. And since the distance between the pivot supports is small compared to the length of the roll, wear and looseness at the pivots is amplified at the roll. Thus .001" wear at the pivot may mean a divergence as great as .010" from parallel at the outer ends of the rolls.

Pursuant to the present invention all of the above difiiculties have been overcome in a relatively simple, easily manufactured, and incapensive assembly which accomplishes the sired aims directly and certainly, as will be inafter more fully explained. This is achieved generally by mounting one of the calender rolls on an axle held at both of its ends in a swing ing frame, herein a U-shaped yoke-like mounting structure in which the calender roll is located between the sides or arms of the U at a point intermediate the bend of the U and the free ends of the sides or arms. The of the U are flared apart laterally at their free ends to insure relatively wide separation of the free ends, which are arranged to pivot on pivot pins having a common axis parallel to the axes of the caiender rolls. A wide base of support is thus provided, and a high degree of parallelism is thereby maintained between the stationary and movable calender rolls. This parallelism is independent of the thickness of the sliver. The bend of the U besides providing a grip for lifting the roll and its mounting to a raised out of the way position for ready threading or cleaning of the calender rolls, also provides a weighted overhang increasing the effective leverage with respect to the sliver and providing improved weight utiliza tion for a given load on the sliver. Alternatively a small handle is provided at one side of the bend of the U for lifting the assembly to its raised and inactive position.

A projection at the free end of each of the arms of the U is arranged to engage a lug integral with a mounting bracket provided for each arm, which brackets have fixed therein the pivots on which the assembly swings. The lugs and pivots are made to cooperate to hold the assembly in the raised position without creating undesirable turning moments on the brackeas.

These and other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which Fig. l is a side elevational view showing the device mounted on the sliver table of a combing machine.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the invention, partly in section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, a lower calender roll iii, which may be of conventional design with parallel flutes across the face of its periphery it, is fixed as by a key it to shaft 58 rotatively mounted in bearings, 28 secured by bolts 22 to a frame member it forming part of a textile machine which in the present instance is a cotton combing machine. The shaft i8 is driven from a suitable power source (not shown) so as to rotate the calender roll it in the direction of the arrow, as heretofore in many cases.

In accordance with the invention, an upper calender roll 28 having parallel flutes designed to mesh with the flutes on the periphery is of calender roll iii is mounted on anti-friction bearings, preferably ball bearing sets Fig. 2, to rotate about an axle 34 in a mounting assembly 35. The axle t l has its axis parallel to and forward of the axis 38 of calender roll it by a small distance til. The axle 3 is held firmly in place as by a set screw 32 (Fig, l) in a threaded. hole l t in a U-shaped body portion iii of the mount assembly Lateral motion of the upper calender roll 23 in body it is prevented by snap rings 43 (Fig. 2) in slots be about the inside periphery of a bearg mounting hole 52 in the center of the calenroll 28. The snap rings :8 nt against outi e races as of ball bearing sets thus maintaining the protruding portions of the inner races 5% against the opposed sides 53 of the U-shaped body portion at. This construction eliminates the need for a more time-consuming and expensive manufacturing construction of providing shoulders in the bearing mounting hole 52.

The body portion at is provided with diverging or diagonal extensions Ell flaring laterally outwardly from the opposed sides 53 of the U -shaped body portion These extensions 69 have holes having a common axis ii l parallel to the axis or" axle 34. Pivot pins 55 have one of their ends closely fitted in holes 62 and have their other ends fitted in similar holes fil in the stem portion 83 oi inverted T-shaped brackets H3. Ehe T-portion on one side of the stem 63 is anchored as by bolts "52 to the sliver table M of the combing machine. The T-portion at the other side of the stem (:8 defines a lug 16 which provides a stop for each of projections '48 on the free ends 65 of the U and cooperates with the pivot pins (iii to support the mounting assembly 35 in a raised out of the way position (slightly beyond that shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1). Pivot pins 66 are preferably tightly fitted in holes in the brackets and additionally secured as by set screws (Fig. i) in brackets is. The height of brackets it is preferably such that the axis 66 of holes 52 is in the same horizontal plane with axis 3B of top calender roll 25 when calender roll 2?} is in the operating position with respect to lower calender roll it.

substantial opening or space 84 is provided between the closed end 86 of the U-shaped body portion d6 forming the swinging frame carrying the top roll 28 and the periphery of calender roll 23, wide enough to admit the operators fingers. Thus the bend 53 may be used as a handle to lift the mounting assembly 35 from the operating position to the raised or idle position and to facilitate gripping, the body 46 arches upward from the region of the axis 3% forward, to space the portion 86 well above the table l4. However, alternatively a handle 83 may be provided at one side of the closed end for this purpose and the closed end 3% may be used to mount additional *e-ights for loading the sliver wheredesired.

In operation a web of textile fibers (not shown) passing along the inclined portion of the sliver table it is condensed and formed into a sliver by trumpet Ml through which it is pulled by the cooperation of calender rolls it and 28 and from which it is conventionally passed through a drawbox, additional calender rolls, and through a coiler into a can (not shown) The grip or bite on the sliver occurs at the hip 98 of the calender rolls it and 28 by the combination of the meshing flutes and the weight of the mounting assent ly 35 upon the sliver. The improved structure forming the invention attains uniformity of tension or pull throughout the cross section of the sliver by holding the surfaces of the two rolls ever parallel; proper distribution or" the weight across the full width of the sliver to insure proper grip is thus achieved. Another function of this weight is the compression of the sliver to increase the amount of sliver stored a single can, thereby reducing the frequency of creeling at the sliver lappers or drawing frames in subsequent operations. However, it is important, as noted, to avoid too much weight because slivers which are too highly compressed are difficult to draw in the next operation and may produce uneven work from that point on. A maximum load may be used for a given weight of sliver by loading the sliver evenly across its width thus preventing localized variations in pressure. Through the present invention such maximum load may be advantageously used and its proper distribution insured. The relatively great distance 98 (Fig. 2) between the effective support points of pivots 86 as compared to the distance it between axis 5d of pivots 56 and the axis 36 of axle 34 and the relatively small working width 502 of the face of calender roll 23 assures a very high degree of parallalism between the gripping surfaces of the calender rolls in and 28 and thereby even distribution of pressure on the sliver. Also the use of two pivot pins 66 one on either side of the calender roll 2%; and having their common axis parallel with that of the roll insures balanced loading on the pivots 66 without skewing or high wear-creating localized bending moments. By this construction. even when wear slowly occurs after long periods of use the wear will be evenly distributed at pivot pins 55 and will not impair pressure-equalizing parallelism at the gripping surfaces of calenderrolls iii and 22.

To further insure even pull on the sliver and freedom from chatter despite wear and possible iooseness in fitted members, the small forward displacement 5% of axis 36 with respect to axis 35 (Fig. 1) has been provided to create continuous components of force on the calender rolls it and 28 in a direction which automatically takes up the slack due to any wear, manufacturing tolerance or other looseness. It thereby prevents chatter and backlash with its consequent undesirable fluctuating pull conditions on the sliver at the trumpet 94. This insurance against fluctuating pull together with the above described structure for uniform loading and gripping of the sliver not only enhances the uniformity of product but also tends to make the resistance in the trumpet 94 a truer index of the uniformity of material going through the trumpet and therefore permits close tolerance control of the customary stop mechanism (not shown) by the trumpet.

It should be noted that the weight of the body portion 46 greatly exceeds that of roll 28 and that the heavy construction in the bend 86 and the opposed sides 58 of the U-shaped portion disposes the center of gravity of the assembly forward of the axis 36, thereby in effect acting as a lever arm with mechanical advantage such that the eifective weight or loading on the sliver is much greater than the weight of the U-shaped portion. This achieves both economy in materials and easier handling of the mounting assembly 35. It further transfers the entire burden of the assembly to the lower calender roll. securely mounted on the frame member E l, taking all load off of the sliver table, with the only significant strain on brackets being in an upward direction when the top roll is in working position.

It should also be noted that by providing a form of bracket it having integrally thereon a stop lug l6 and pivot pins Eli both on the same side of the upright portion 68, undesirable turning moments about the axis of bolt 22 when the projection 78 is brought to rest against the lug 75 are avoided.

The invention is not limited to the particular details of construction and operation herein described, as equivalents will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. It is accordingly desired that the appended claims be given a broad interpretation commensurate with the scope of the invention within the art.

What I claim is:

1. A calender roll assembly having in combination a pair of calender rolls, means defining an axis of rotation for one of such rolls, arms each pivoted at one of its ends and together carrying the ends of such means, and means connecting the arms at their unpivoted ends and holding them in fixed angular relation to each other.

2. A calender roll assembly having in combination a pair of calender rolls, means defining an axis of rotation for one of such rolls, a frame holding the ends of such means and extending along the latter roll at one side of its axis, and means mounting the frame to swing about an axis at the other side of the rolls axis.

3. In a textile machine having a bottom calender roll, in combination, a top calender roll assembly comprising a top calender roll, an axle for such top roll, a U-shaped member having arms in which the axle is fixed by its two ends, and pivotal means holding the ends of the arms of the U.

4. The combination of claim 3, in which the center of gravity of the assembly is at the side of the axle remote from the pivotal means when the rolls are in cooperating relation.

5. The combination of claim 3 in which the ends of the arms are spaced apart by a distance greater than the length of the axle.

6. In a textile machine having a bottom calender roll, in combination, a top calender roll supported by the bottom roll, a U-shaped member in which the top roll is mounted, and pivot means engaging the ends of the arms defining the U, pulling down on the armsv and the top roll when the latter is supported by the bottom roll and supporting the U-shaped member and the top roll when the latter are swung up and away from the bottom roll.

7. In a textile machine having a bottom calender roll, in combination, a top calender roll, an axle therefor, a U-shaped member having arms in which the axle is fixed by its two ends, spaced brackets fixed on the machine, and means pivotally connecting the arms to the brackets, the combined weight of the top roll, axle, and U- shaped m mber being so distributed that when the rolls are in calendering relation such weight is borne substantially entirely by the bottom roll and the brackets exert a downward pull on the U-shaped member.

8. A calender roll mounting assembly for cooperation with a second calender roll, comprising a U-shaped body portion including opposed sides and a closed end connecting said sides, a shaft mounted intermediate the length of said sides, and a calender roll rotatively mounted on said shaft between said sides, the free ends of said sides having holes having a common axis parallel to the axis of said shaft for pivotally mounting said body portion in cooperative relation with the second calender roll.

9. A calender roll mounting assembly for cooperation with a second calender roll, comprising a U-shaped body portion including opposed sides and a closed end connecting said sides, a shaft mounted therein intermediate the length of said sides, a calender roll rotatively mounted on said shaft between said, sides, the free ends of said sides having holes, means in rotativeengagement with said holes for pivotally mounting said body portion to permit the calender roll mounted therein to swing to and from the second calender roll, and stop means limiting the swing of the body portion away from the second calender roll to hold the assembly in raised position.

10. A calender roll mounting assembly for cooperation with a second calender roll, comprising a U-shaped body portion including opposed sides and a closed end connecting said sides, a shaft mounted therein intermediate the length of said sides, a calender roll rotatively mounted on said shaft between said sides, the free ends of the sides having holes, means in rotative engagement with said holes for pivotally mounting said body portion to permit the calender roll mounted therein to swing to and from the second calender roll, a projection on the free end of a side or" said body cooperating with said mounting means for supporting said mounting assembly in raised position, and a handle on said closed end for swinging said mounting assembly.

11. A calender roll mounting assembly for co operation with a second calender roll, comprising a U-shaped body portion including opposed sides and a closed. end connecting said sides, said closed end and portions of sides adjoining said closed end being of heavy construction to rovide the major part of the weighting of said roll, a shaft mounted in the sides intermediate their length, and a calender roll rotatively mounted on said shaft between said sides, the free ends of said sides having holes having a common axis parallel to the axis of said shaft for pivotally mounting said body portion in cooperative relation with the second calender roll.

12. A calender roll mounting assembly for cooperation with a second calender roll, comprising a U-shaped body portion including opposed sides and a closed end connecting said sides, a shaft mounted therein intermediate the length of said sides, a calender roll rotatively mounted on said shaft between said sides, and diagonal extensions forming the free ends of said sides of the L1 and flaring apart from each other, the free ends of said extensions having holes having a common axis parallel to the of said shaft for pivotally mounting said mounting assembly in coo erative relation with the second calender roll.

13. A calender roll mounting assembly comprising a U-shaped body portion including opposed sides and a closed end connecting sides, a shaft mounted therein intermediate the length of said sides, a calender r011 rotatively mounted on said shaft between said sides, and diagonal extensions forming the free ends of said sides and flaring outt rdly from each other, the free of said extensions having holes having a common axis parallel to the axis of said shaft for pivotally mounting said mounting assembly in cooperative relation with a second calender roll, the axial distance between the effective pivot points of said holes being greater than the distance between said axes.

14. A calender roll mounting assembly comprising a U-shaped body portion including opposed sides and a closed end connecting said sides, a shaft mounted therein intermediate the length of said sides, a calender roll rotatively mounted on said shaft between said sides, and diagonal extensions forming the free ends of said sides and flaring outward from each other, the free ends of said extensions having holes having a common axis parallel to the axis of said shaft for pivotally mounting said mounting assembly in cooperative relation with the second calender roll, the axial distance between the effective pivot points of said holes being substantially greater than the distance between said axes and substantially greater than the face width of said calender roll.

15. In a textile machine of the type having a sliver support, a trumpet for receiving fiber from said sliver support and a pair of calender rolls for drawing sliver through said trumpet, in combination, a calender roll assembly supporting one of such calender rolls for cooperation with the other roll to draw the sliver through the trumpet, said assembly comprising a lJ-shaped body portion including opposed sides and a closed end connecting said sides, a shaft mounted on such body portion intermediate the length of said sides on which shaft one of the calender rolls is rotatively mounted, the free ends of said sides having holes. means in rotative engagement with said holes pivotally mounting said body portion above the other roll with the axes of said holes and rolls parallel to each other and the axis of said roll on the shaft slightly forward of the axis of the other roll and the axes of said holes and the shaft in a substantially horizontal plane.

16. A calender roll mounting assembly comprising a plurality of calender rolls, a U-shaped body portion including opposed side portions and a closed end connecting said side portions, a shaft mounted on the assembly intermediate the length of said side portions, ball bearing sets on said shaft at each of said side portions, the inner race of said bearing sets protruding beyond the outer race of said sets toward the adjacent side portion, one calender roll mounted to rotate on said bearing sets, and snap rings in said roll and against said outer races preventing axial motion of said roll on the shaft, the free of said sides having holes having a common axis parallel to the axis of said shaft for pivotally mounting said body portion in cooperative relation with a second calender roll.

17. In a textile machine of the type having a sliver support, a trumpet for receiving fibers from said sliver support and a pair of calender rolls for drawing sliver through said trumpet, in combination, a calender roll assembly mounting for causing one of such calender rolls to cooperate with the other calender roll to provide substantially uniform loading and drawing of said sliver, said assembly mounting comprising a heavy recessed body portion exceeding the weight of its associated roll for loading said roll, a shaft across said recess fixed to said body portion, the first of such calender rolls being rotatively mounted in said recess and on said shaft, and means pivotally mounting said body portion above said second roll to swing about an axis parallel to said second roll.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES "PATENTS 

